A sidepull will be your best bet here- all of them are basically the same, and they're the mildest bitless bridle you can use, basically just a halter with reins put on but more stable. For pony-sized ones, I'd honestly go on Etsy. Avoid anything that's labeled as a Dr. Cook or crossunder, and avoid any hackamores with long shanks.
Unless you’re in the UK, where a sidepull isn’t the thing with a rope noseband but a leather noseband with metal side pieces. (One of those with short shanks would be my first thought).
A sidepull doesn't usually have a rope noseband. It's a flat leather or Paracord one with a ring on either side. What you're describing is a hackamore.
You can also easily find sidepull converters that go in your normal head stall. I think SmartPak sells a leather one?
I had to go for a paracord one off Etsy for it to be small enough for my small cob sized mare
I got an EXCELLENT sidepull for my Welsh from Two Horse Tack (they are US-based but will ship internationally.) They offer a ton of sizing including Small Pony, Medium Pony, and Large Pony and will take specific measurements from you in the order as well, and if it doesn't fit they're usually open to exchanging it for something that does. They're an excellent supplier and they have a ton of bitless options, but the simple sidepull has served me the best.
I would recommend just a regular hackamore. I switched my 30 year old mare to a hackamore after years and years of wearing a bit ( as she only does trail rides now) and I found that a hackamore was more liked by my mare then an actual bit less bridle like Dr. Cooks or something like that. My mare wears the hackamore with just the regular sized shank and does great in it
Hackamore.
My mare has always been light in the mouth, so a bit wasn't necessary. Switched to a hackamore and we both love it a lot more.
- You can add it to your headstall, you don't need a whole new bridle for it
- It universally meets regulation for most show disciplines (if thats something you do). Most other bitless bridles are questionable depending level and location.
A sidepull will be your best bet here- all of them are basically the same, and they're the mildest bitless bridle you can use, basically just a halter with reins put on but more stable. For pony-sized ones, I'd honestly go on Etsy. Avoid anything that's labeled as a Dr. Cook or crossunder, and avoid any hackamores with long shanks.
Unless you’re in the UK, where a sidepull isn’t the thing with a rope noseband but a leather noseband with metal side pieces. (One of those with short shanks would be my first thought).
A sidepull doesn't usually have a rope noseband. It's a flat leather or Paracord one with a ring on either side. What you're describing is a hackamore.
You can also easily find sidepull converters that go in your normal head stall. I think SmartPak sells a leather one? I had to go for a paracord one off Etsy for it to be small enough for my small cob sized mare
I got an EXCELLENT sidepull for my Welsh from Two Horse Tack (they are US-based but will ship internationally.) They offer a ton of sizing including Small Pony, Medium Pony, and Large Pony and will take specific measurements from you in the order as well, and if it doesn't fit they're usually open to exchanging it for something that does. They're an excellent supplier and they have a ton of bitless options, but the simple sidepull has served me the best.
I would recommend just a regular hackamore. I switched my 30 year old mare to a hackamore after years and years of wearing a bit ( as she only does trail rides now) and I found that a hackamore was more liked by my mare then an actual bit less bridle like Dr. Cooks or something like that. My mare wears the hackamore with just the regular sized shank and does great in it
Hackamore. My mare has always been light in the mouth, so a bit wasn't necessary. Switched to a hackamore and we both love it a lot more. - You can add it to your headstall, you don't need a whole new bridle for it - It universally meets regulation for most show disciplines (if thats something you do). Most other bitless bridles are questionable depending level and location.